Black Eyed Peas Singer Will.I.Am Goes Vegan

William James Adams—known professionally as Will.I.am of the band Black Eyed Peas and as a judge of reality show The Voice—is transitioning to veganism. The star posted a humorous Instagram story last week stating that he has joined what he calls the “V.Gang” and explained that he is on a mission to become vegan. “I am tired of being pimped by food companies,” Adams said, “and then eating bad, poisonous food, and feeling bad in the morning … I don’t want to be diabetic and in and out of the hospital because I’m eating the pimp’s food.” Adams said his friends recently taunted him with the old adage, “How do you know a vegan is a vegan?” He responded with, “Isn’t it funny that people [are] proud to represent the stupidest [expletive] like killing people, hurting people, and disrespecting women, but when it comes to representing eating right, you get laughed at." Adams ended the video with a request to his fans to keep him accountable to his new lifestyle—stating “tap me on the shoulder and say ‘V gang’”— if they meet him in the world. Adams joins a growing list of celebrities who have chosen to eschew animal products in recent months, including The Office star Craig Robinson, singer Ne-Yo, and Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox.